Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2012 Day 1(ish): Easton Mountain Products Factory Tour

The Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2012 officially starts tomorrow, but Easton Mountain Products has no problem giving the trade show's early arrivals a special treat: a tour through their Salt Lake City facility followed by a delicious dinner at Settebello Pizzeria Nepoletana. EMP's marketing coordinator Rich Packer took a group of journalists through the factory and showed us the process by which your ridiculously light tent poles (and stakes, and snowshoes, and trekking poles, and arrows) are made. I'll have a full overview of the tour after the show, but here are a few photos to keep you sated:

EMP's marketing coordinator Rich Packer takes writers step-by-step though the process of making super-light goodies.

Your future trekking poles, maybe? Some stacks of rolled and welded aluminum waiting to be softened in the ovens. 

Part of the strengthening process involves heating the poles in molten salt. The factory workers added extra oil to this batch to show what happens when the oil and 900-degree salt mix. Here's a hint: awesome happens. 

Tomorrow's the All-Mountain Demo day at Solitude Mountain Resort. Check twitter for live updates and back here tomorrow night for the report.